Railway-bridge danger-signal



(No Model.)

J. W. STEELE.

RAILWAY BRIDGE DANGER SIGNAL.

Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

Wii'fiesses:

n. PETERS, Pnula-Lrmagnphor, Wnhiflgim 13.12.

UNTTEE ETATES PATENT @ETTEE.

JAMES XV. STEELE, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHATJF ANDREWllIeNALLY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY BRIDGE DANGER SlGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,748, dated August14;, 1888.

Serial No. 249,835. (No model.)

To aZZ 1071 0122 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, James W. STEELE, of Topeha,in the county of Shawneeand State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Railway-Bridge Signals, of which the following is a description,reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of arailwaybridge having my improved device applied thereto and inoperativeconnection with semaphores at the respective ends of the bridge. Fig. 2is a detail view of one of said semaphores as it appears when in anabnormal position, and Fig. 3 is an edge view oi the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the diiierent figures.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a device in connect-ion withrailwaybridges,

Y which may be so constructed as to operate a signal to warn approachingtrains in the event of the displacement or destruction of the bridgeresulting from floods or other similar causes.

To this end my invention consists in providing a tripping mechanism ortrigger in operative connection with one or more semaphores or signals,and so attached to the bridge as to release the semaphore upon either alateral or vertical displacement of the bridge, or a portion thereof,from any cause, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In Fig. 1 is shown a perspective view of a railway-bridge,in which Aindicates the usual cross-ties, which serve as the immediate support forthe rails. At the respective ends of the bridgel place planks or timbersB B, which are loosely inserted beneath the rails, and arepreferably made somewhat longer than the ties, as shown. liars O U, ofwood or iron,but preferably of ordinary two by four scantling, areplaced midway between and parallel with the rails upon the top of theties and bolted or spiked to the cross-bars B B respectively at e c.Braces c c are also rigidly secured to the bars C B and C 13,substantially as shown, so that a lateral movement ol'the inner end ofthe bar C, for example, must move the bar B, to which it is attached.Each of the bars 0 G" extends back from the abutment over the nextsucceeding tie beyond the bars 13 D, and pins D l) are placed in theties at the outer ends of said bars and upon each side thereof, to serveas fulcrums or points of bearing for the ends of said bars. The inner ormeeting ends of the bars G O are loosely attached,by means of pins orbolts O,to a tie or ties at or near the middle of the bridge. Blocks 0 Gare also spiked to the cross-tics,preferably near the meeting ends ofthe bars 0 O,and arranged to project loosely over said bars, as shown,so as to permit a lateral movement of the latteraud to draw the samedown with the bridge in case it should settle or sag in the middle. Toprevent the bars 0 G,or either of them,t'rom slipping back between thepins D D, I cause blocks or cleats c" e to be nailed upon the sides ofsaid'bars,as shown in Fig. 1.

At the respective ends of the bridge I place semaphores E E, of anywell-known construction, but preferably consisting of a post, E,to thetop of which, at e, is pivoted asignal-arm, E, which is provided with acounterpoiseweight, 6', loosely attached to a short arm, 6". The post Eis mortised at a", Fig. 1, through which mortise is inserted a slidingblock, 13, designed to engage with a notch, e, in the end of the arm Eand thus normally retain said arm in the position shown in Fig. l. Aspiral spring, f,Fig. 8, attached to the post and block respectively,serves to retain the latter in normal engagement with the notch 6*,while a pin, f, limits its movement in an opposite direction. A notch, fwhen brought into alignment with the arm E by the sliding of the blockF,serves to release the arm F. G G are small upright posts or pinsrigidly attached to one end of each of the cross-bars B B. W'ires G'serve to connect the tops of said posts with the sliding blocks F.

The arrow shown in Fig. 1 indicates the direction of the current of thestream. Assuming the bridge to be moved bya freshet in the direction ofthe arrow, the end ofthe bar O,at-

tached to the middle of the bridge, is carried with it,and the oppositeend being held by the pins D D,the end ofthe bar B,carrying the post G,is caused to swing in the are of a circle of which the pins D D form theaxis, and thus the block F is withdrawn and the semaphore actuated. Alateral movement of the bridge in an opposite direction, resulting, forexample, from a severe wind-stor1n,actu ates the bar C in a similarmanner and moves the signal upon the opposite side of the stream.

In case the middle supports of the bridge should be carried away,thuscausing a portion of the bridge to fall or sag in the middle, the innerends of the bars 0 0, one or both,would sag therewith, and thus tilt theposts G and actuate the signal; hence it is apparent that adisp'lacementof the bridge by falling, or by lateral movement from any causc,wouldserve to automatically operate the signal and give warning toapproaching trains.

For culverts or short bridges it is obvious that but one bar or trippingmechanism and one semaphore would be sufficient, though in longerbridges I prefer to use two.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. Adanger-signalforrailway-bridges, consisting of a semaphore provided with a releasingdevice, as the block F, in combination with a tripping mechanism, as thebars B and C,attached to the bridge and in operative connection with thesemaphore, whereby a displacement or destruction of the bridge may serveto automatically operate said semaphore, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination, with a railway-bridge, of a semaphore or signal,means, as a sliding block and spring, for maintaining the same in anormal position, and a tripping mechanism, as the bars 0 B, attached toeach other and to the bridge and in operative connection with thesemaphore, substantial] y as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a railway-bridge and a semaphore or signal,ofrthe cross or trigger O B, attached to said bridge and in 0perativeconnection with said semaphore, substantially as shown and described.

JAMES W. STEELE.

\Vitnesses:

D. H. FLETCHER, J. B. I'IALPENNY.

